Little is known about the drivers of organic decertification and it is unclear what production practices farmers adopt after decertification. This article investigated how farm demographics and characteristics, sources of information, and perceptions influence a farmer’s decision to decertify. The data for this article were from a 2012 web-based survey of fruit and vegetable farmers that were part of the Food Industry MarketMaker database. We used a robust probit regression to identify the drivers of organic decertification of fruit and vegetable farmers in the U.S. Demographics; farm’s characteristics, sources of information, and farmer’s perceptions were key factors influencing the decision to decertify. Finding useful information from price reporting services and certifiers decreased the probability to decertify. On the other hand, farmers located in the Midwest, those selling vegetables, and those perceiving the organic certification process as a barrier were more likely to decertify.

Contributor Notes

We thank the USDA-NIFA Organic Research and Education Initiative for funding the research.

YorkM.LauM.H.HanagriffR.D.ConstanceD.H.2007Identifying barriers to entry into the organic market and possible strategies to increase the likelihood of success for potential organic producers. Final report. Sam Houston State Univ. Huntsville TX